DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.
Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus, but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria.
The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases. Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Thymine (T).
DNA bases pair up with each other, A with T and C with G, to form units called base pairs.
Each base is also attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule. Together, a base, sugar, and phosphate are called a nucleotide. Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix.
The structure of the double helix is similar to a ladder, with the base pairs forming the ladder’s rungs and the sugar and phosphate molecules forming the vertical sidepieces of the ladder.
An important property of DNA is that it can replicate, or make copies of itself. Each strand of DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. This is critical when cells divide because each new cell needs to have an exact copy of the DNA present in the old cell.
DNA is contained in blood, semen, skin cells, tissue, organs, muscle, brain cells, bone, teeth, hair, saliva, mucus, perspiration, fingernails, among an array of other things as well.
DNA is a double helix formed by base pairs attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone.
This nucleic acid is capable of self replication, and it also contains the code necessary for synthesizing RNA, another critical nucleic acid.
It also contains sets of base pairs which come together to create the genetic code, determining things like eye color and body structure.
When DNA becomes altered by a substance known as a mutagen, it can cause health problems.
Some mutagens have an impact on DNA in the eggs and sperm, or on developing organisms, causing them to develop birth defects.
Others can change living organisms, contributing to the development of a variety of health problems.
Mutagens often introduce errors at the copying stage, which means that these errors will be replicated numerous times as the damaged DNA perpetuates itself.
What Is DNA?
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA.
Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus, but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria.
The information in DNA is stored as a code made up of four chemical bases. Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Thymine (T).
DNA bases pair up with each other, A with T and C with G, to form units called base pairs.
Each base is also attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule. Together, a base, sugar, and phosphate are called a nucleotide. Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix.
The structure of the double helix is similar to a ladder, with the base pairs forming the ladder’s rungs and the sugar and phosphate molecules forming the vertical sidepieces of the ladder.
An important property of DNA is that it can replicate, or make copies of itself. Each strand of DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. This is critical when cells divide because each new cell needs to have an exact copy of the DNA present in the old cell.
DNA is contained in blood, semen, skin cells, tissue, organs, muscle, brain cells, bone, teeth, hair, saliva, mucus, perspiration, fingernails, among an array of other things as well.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dnaThis nucleic acid is capable of self replication, and it also contains the code necessary for synthesizing RNA, another critical nucleic acid.
It also contains sets of base pairs which come together to create the genetic code, determining things like eye color and body structure.
When DNA becomes altered by a substance known as a mutagen, it can cause health problems.
Some mutagens have an impact on DNA in the eggs and sperm, or on developing organisms, causing them to develop birth defects.
Others can change living organisms, contributing to the development of a variety of health problems.
Mutagens often introduce errors at the copying stage, which means that these errors will be replicated numerous times as the damaged DNA perpetuates itself.